Collision
by JacksDirtySecret
Summary: A girl from a vault makes a very long and dangerous trip with her new ghoul friend. She had saved the nations capital. Read on to find out how she wins the west!
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One

He watched her, his minute interest in her not showing on his face. He was as impassive as always. But still, he watched. She had looked up at him with enormous brown eyes, but hadn't attempted to speak. Those brown eyes held little warmth. She examined him as he continued to stare through her.

She turned abruptly, walking over to the bar. The scarf that covered her lower face muffled her words, Charon couldn't hear what she was saying, but he was familiar with the look on Azrukhals face. This smoothskin must have a lot of caps.

She handed over a substantial amount of caps. Azrukhal took his time counting them out. With a vicious smirk, he handed the smoothskin a piece of paper. She nodded curtly. She turned and scanned the bar. Her eyes rested on Charon. Between the scarf and the helmet, there was little of her he could try to gauge. She stalked up to him slowly, her hips swaying from side to side.

"Charon?" She asked softly.

"No. Talk to Azrukhal." He grunted back.

"Nothing on this earth will ever get me to talk to that horrid little man." She hissed. "I've purchased your contract. Come along."

Charon froze. She was already on her way out of the door. "Mistress please wait one moment."

She halted, but didn't turn around.

With three large steps, Charon stepped up to the bar. Azrukhal grinned. Charon didn't even give the vile man a chance to speak. Two shotgun blasts later, Azrukhal had no head left. People gasped and cried out, fleeing from the carnage.

Charon swiftly gathered up all the caps the smoothskin had just paid and Azrukhals pistol. Wordlessly, he returned to his new contract holder and held out her caps. She took them after a brief pause.

"Let's go Charon." She said as she walked out of the door.

For a woman, she moved quickly, taking long strides. It was at that moment that he realized she was tall. He was used to towering over everyone and she was no exception. But this woman had to be nearing six feet tall. She slipped into Carols Place and he followed without hesitation.

"Carol dear, I need a room for the night. Do you have one to spare?" The smoothskin cooed at the woman behind the counter.

Carol smiled brightly. "Of course dearie! And I just changed the shee-" she chirped, stopping mid sentence to peer at Charon.

"Oh don't be a prude Carol! Surely you don't disapprove of the male company I keep." The smoothskin giggled. Carol peered at her in amazement.

"He's WITH you dear?" Carol whispered loudly. "Does Azrukhal know?"

"Azrukhal is dead I'm afraid. Charon was forced to defend my honor." The smoothskin lied without missing a beat. "Azrukhal was such a letch! Quite inappropriate really."

Charon didn't let any emotion cross his face. Carol looked horrified at what the smoothskin was implying.

"You poor dear!" Carol cooed. "Thank goodness Charon was there to... Help you." She drew out the words slowly.

"Charon is definitely my hero. How about that room?" The smoothskin asked sweetly.

"Oh absolutely dearie! Can Greta get you anything to eat before you go to bed?" Carol said as she lead them to the bedroom.

"Does she have any Salisbury steak? Charon needs at least three. I'll take some pork n beans. And whiskey. As much as she has." The smoothskin requested.

And then they were alone. The smoothskin quickly shed her boots and combat armor. Then her scarf, and finally her helmet. Pale blond hair cascaded down to her waist. She swiftly ran her fingers through it carelessly before pulling it into a thick braid.

She sighed and pulled at her tank-top. Everything was so damn dirty. Charon stood completely still, awaiting her orders.

"Please, have a seat. You're a big fucker you know that?" She said with a small smile.

"Yes Mistress." Charon said, devoid of emotion. She raised an eyebrow as he sat down but didn't relax at all.

"I hope you'll forgive me for ordering your food, I wanted to speak alone." She said. "I'd like to return this to you."

She held out a piece of paper. He frowned. "What is this Mistress?" He asked stiffly.

"Your contract of course." She retorted.

"I cannot hold my own contract mistress. I must have a contract holder." Charon replied stiffly, sounding rehearsed and blank.

She stepped back and examined him. "Holy shit. Azrukhal said you were brain washed but I thought he was fucking around. You're not a slave?" She asked.

"I am yours to command. I will serve you until I die or you sell my contract. I will protect you with my life. What are your orders mistress." Charon droned on.

She shook her head. "No way. I don't own slaves. You don't just own another person. Don't you understand? You're free." She all but shouted.

"Mistress-" He began.

"Stop fucking calling me that! My name is Evelyn!" She snapped.

"Evelyn," He amended, "I cannot be free. My training compels me to seek out a new contract holder once the owner dies or relinquishes the contract. So I will be owned no matter what you insist," he said, his head hanging low.

"Fuck. FUCK." Evelyn cursed. Her eyes rested on the man before her. "I was hoping to win you over. I'm making a long trip in two weeks and really needed someone to come with me." She explained. "I thought if I bought you your contract back you would be willing to let me hire you."

He remained silent. He wasn't sure what to say. He had no free will. So the things she was saying really had no impact on him. However, the idea that she wanted to return his contract, to free him, made him feel... Better.

"Charon I refuse to be a slave owner. It's not something I've ever believed in. What should I do?" She asked.

Charon immediately stopped feeling better. "If my presence troubles you, you are always free to give away or sell my contract." He supplied.

"Absolutely not. What happens if you end up stuck with another Azrukhal? You blew his head off for a reason right?" She asked.

"He was a very evil man that made me do very evil things. He deserved to die." Charon answered.

"Yeah well I'm not risking that happening again." Evelyn said.

"I would not harm you." Charon stated.

"I don't mean that Charon. I mean you being forced to do bad things. It's not right. Maybe I can help you." Evelyn said.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door. Charon rose immediately and stood defensively in front of the door.

"It is my duty to keep you safe. Please do not answer doors." He asked. She gave him a strange look but nodded.

He answered the door. Greta stood there with food and a large amount of alcohol. She didn't look surprised to see Charon. Carol must have spread the word.

"That'll be 84 caps you big idiot." She crowed when he attempted to shut the door. He growled and was startled by a small hand on his arm.

Evelyn gave Greta a smile and said, "Here's one hundred caps, thanks so much."

Greta's expression softened. "Thank you honey. I'll get Carol something nice." She gave Charon one last glare and was gone.

Charon placed the food and whiskey down onto the small bedside table. Evelyn crowded closer until his back was pressed against the table, and she pressed against him to grab her food. He was surprised to say the least.

She sat on the bed with her legs tucked under her. She wasn't repulsed by him at all. She didn't even appear fearful. Some of her hair had already escaped the braid she had tried to restrict it to. She patted the bed next to her and he just stared.

"Sit!" She ordered, blanching a moment later at the realization that she had given him a command. He obliged immediately.

"Fuck Charon!" She groaned. "I meant that as a request. Did you want to sit?"

Charon paused. "Sitting is enjoyable." He answered finally.

She sighed, placing the tip of her braid into her mouth to chew on it. She seemed deep in thought.

"Can I give you a more specific order, one that will guide the others?" She asked.

"I don't know." Charon admitted.

"Okay." She sighed. "Charon I order you to only follow my orders if I specifically say 'Charon I order you' and to take any other statements as a request that you are free to ignore."

His eyes narrowed. "Evelyn I'm not sure how well that would work. My contract-"

"FUCK THAT FUCKING CONTRACT!" She howled with rage, startling him with her vehemence. Evelyn sighed. "Could you at least try? Please?"

Charon nodded. "I will try to do what you ask of me."

"Thanks gorgeous." She smiled brightly, without a trace of venom. "Charon I'm exhausted. I'm going to sleep."

"I will keep watch." Charon replied.

"Don't be silly. Do you think Carol is coming to kill us in the night? Get in bed." She scoffed.

"I do not have my own lodgings Evelyn. If you will permit me, I will sleep in front of the door." Charon said uncertainly.

She looked incredulous. "You are not sleeping in front of the door. Just get on your side of the bed. But be prepared, I'm a blanket hog." She commanded.

"I do not require a blanket." He answered blankly.

She let out an exasperated hiss. "Just get in bed. No funny business now."

He frowned. "Funny business?"

She examined him as she would a particularly interesting bug. A mixture of curiosity and disdain. "Just lay down. Sheesh."

He laid his large frame awkwardly onto the bed, trying to take up as little space as possible.

"For gods sake Charon take off your armor and boots. And relax. You're making me nervous." She snapped as she crawled into bed.

He complied shyly, feeling strange in just denim pants and a thin short sleeved shirt. He switched off the lamp and crawled onto the old mattress. It groaned with his weight. He was tense for a few minutes as he listened to her even breathing. She was sound asleep.

As he drifted off into a light slumber he felt her roll closer. A pale arm rested across his stomach and he froze. She scooted closer and nestled into him. His eyes flew open and he gently tried to extract himself from the embrace. Rather than move away, she clung to him, seeking the warmth of his body. After a few restless moments he relented and accepted his fate. He fell asleep snuggled up to a woman for the first time in over 200 years.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Charon awoke to a slim body slipping over him. A pale leg brushed by him slowly and he reached out idly to graze his fingers across her calf when a sharp gasp brought him full awake.

"Evelyn! I- My most sincere- I'm so sorry!" He stuttered, horrified.

"Relax. You just tickled me. I didn't mean to wake you." Evelyn replied, tearing into the can of pork n beans she had ordered the night before. "Eat some breakfast if you want. Then we will head on over to see Tulip. You need some new shit as bad as I do."

Charon was silent as he gulped down the Salisbury Steak. He couldn't recall his last meal. Generally he didn't eat until Azrukhal remembered to allow it. Azrukhal wasn't very good at remembering. He quickly finished all that she had provided him. He looked up to see her watching him sadly.

"Been a while huh?" She asked softly.

"Yes." He answered stiffly.

"That guy was a piece of shit. You're gonna eat when I eat Charon. This is a partnership. Okay?" She stated firmly.

"Thank you Evelyn." He said, surprised at how genuine his thanks was. This girl seemed to have good intentions. Only time would tell if those intentions would remain good. The wasteland had a way of killing the good in people.

"No problem buddy. Let's get rollin. Got a lot of shit to do these next couple weeks. Getting ready for that big trip I told you about. You sure you up to it?" She asked as she pulled on a pair "sort of" clean leather pants. A loose fitting black shirt completed her outfit.

"Where you lead, I shall follow." He answered her blankly. She sighed.

"Of course. Don't bother getting that armor back on, it's in shit condition. We can get you some new shit when we go pick up the supplies from Tulip. I need some new combat armor myself." She said as he went to pull on his armor. So he pulled on his boots, lacing them up quickly.

She pulled on her own boots and moved for the door. He reached out and grabbed her arm. She gave him an agitated look.

"What?" She snapped.

"Please allow me to leave the room first, I want to look for possible threats. It is my duty to ensure your safety." He requested.

She rolled her eyes but nodded. "If you insist."

Charon slung his shotgun onto his back and exited the room, examining the immediate area. He saw no immediate threats and informed her that the area was safe.

They made their way downstairs amongst stares and whispers of the locals. Everyone had heard what had happened to Azrukhal. Charon was accustomed to being stared at, being nearly seven feet tall. Evelyn seemed unfazed. She smiled and greeted everyone brightly.

Tulip looked dighted to see Evelyn but her smile faltered when she saw Charon. "Hey human. Good to see you back!" She called out.

"Tulip you need to stop being so gorgeous. You might steal Charons heart!" Evelyn teased the shopkeeper. "Hell, you might steal mine!"

Tulip let out a raspy giggle. "Are you here to buy? I hope so. Got lots of good shit from Quinn."

"Tulip my darling, not only am I here to buy out all your ammo, I need to fully outfit Charon. Got anything that might fit him? We need armor, clothes, boots, maybe some sexy pajamas? I dunno, but we want it all." Evelyn winked lewdly at Charon. "We will be here in underworld for about three days. If anything new shows up let me know."

Charon paid little attention to the women, choosing instead to thumb through an old magazine. Tumblers Today was boring but informative. By the time he finished reading, Evelyn was wrapping up her transaction with Tulip. She started handing off her neatly folded purchases to Charon, who took them immediately.

"Charon, if you could be a dear and run these up to our room?" Evelyn asked sweetly. Charon simply nodded in response before swiftly disappearing out the door.

He deposited the pile of things on the bed, paying little attention to what the stack was comprised of. He needed to return to Evelyn.

He returned to Tulips shop but Evelyn was gone. He scanned for her quickly but there was no sign of her. His alarm grew when he realized he had no idea where she would go. His eyes darted around, searching for her.

"Lose something Charon?" Winthrop asked him conversationally.

"Have you seen Evelyn?" Charon asked, glowering down at the man.

Winthrop seemed unperturbed. "She went into the Chop Shop. Probably getting some medical supplies." He said.

Charon nodded and made his way to the clinic. He opened the door and Evelyn glanced his way. Seeing him she fully turned and smiled. "Charon! I thought you'd be in our room. I'm just buying some supplies from the handsome doctor, then we can head up." She said, flashing the ghoul a bright smile.

Charon watched as she skillfully bartered with the old man. She had a silver tongue, that was for sure.

They exited the clinic and Charon immediately voiced his opinion on her little disappearing act. "It is my duty to ensure your safety." He began. "I cannot do that if you do not tell me where you are going or at least let me escort you to these places. There may be danger everywhere."

She looked surprised. "Charon, I didn't go far. Honestly, it's Underworld, not The Mall. No one is going to hurt me here. Besides, I'm armed, as always. I've been out of the vault five years now. Give me some credit." She said.

"You are from a vault?" He asked before he could stop himself.

She sighed. "Yes. Vault 101."

His eyes widened. "You're the one-"

She groaned. "Yes. I'm the one Three Dog never shuts up about. That's why I'm leaving. My work here is beyond done."

He was surprised. All of the Capital Wasteland knew who she was. She had scoured the land for her father, doing good deeds along the way. She had taken on the Enclave and won. She was a hero.

He followed her upstairs to their room. She had much less bounce in her step now. He frowned. He hoped he hadn't upset her. She perked up at the sight of all the stuff lying on the bed.

"Oooo Charon I want to show you all the stuff I got!" She squealed happily.

She held up a small stack of shirts, all black. "These are for you. Tulip says they are huge and will definitely fit you."

"Thank you Evelyn. They are very nice." He said. She stared at him expectantly.

"Well aren't you going to try one on?" She asked after he stared at her blankly.

"Oh." He said. He stared at her shyly. She made no move to look away, not noticing his discomfort. He sighed and removed his shirt.

"Holy crap Charon! You're skin and bones!" She exclaimed. "Well, uh, muscle and bones anyways. You need some meat on you!"

He didn't have the skin to show it but he felt his face get hot. He quickly pulled on the black shirt. It was indeed big enough for him to wear.

"Looks great!" She said softly. "We've just got to get a few pounds on you and you'll be breaking hearts in no time."

He didn't reply, staring down at the floor.

"Charon?" She said.

"Yes?" He answered, not looking up.

"I'm gonna do my best to make you healthy and happy okay?" She said.

His eyes found hers. "My happiness is irrelevant. As is my health. As long as I live I will serve you. You are my employer." He answered dully.

"It's not irrelevant to me. You're my partner." She said firmly. "Now take a look at THESE bad boys. Tulip calls them lounge pants. I have some too!"

Charon gazed at the black and white checkered cloth in disdain. "Lounge pants? They look like a tablecloth." He grumbled.

She laughed. "Yeah? Look at mine! Pink and green. I'm pretty fabulous."

She tossed him the pants. She pulled down her own pants quickly and Charon turned around, his face burning. She laughed again.

"Oh shut up, like you haven't seen underwear before. Put yours on." She admonished.

"Evelyn. I- would you avert your eyes?" He asked.

"What? Why? I wanna see how they look!" She said, confused.

"Yes. Well. You see, I do not have any undergarments on. And I do not wish to disgust you." He said, staring at the ground, his face aflame.

"Ohhhhh. Well lucky for you, Tulip had six pairs of boxer shorts. Soooo here are those and I will be facing thataway. Lemme know when you're ready." She said, tossing him a pair of the aforementioned underwear.

He had never dressed more quickly in his life. And at roughly 235 years of life, that was saying something. He cleared his throat and she turned around.

"Look at you!" She crowed. "Lookin all lounge-y. You'll be excited to know that the rest of the shit I got for you is manly armor and boots. Got myself some manly ass boots too. It's a shame I've got such huge feet. Tulip had some really pretty little slipper things."

He looked down. "I see nothing wrong with your feet." He observed out loud. She laughed.

"Thanks Charon. Ya sure know how to woo a girl." She grinned at him. "Greta is bringing some lunch. It's about one now isn't it?"

She didn't wait for his answer, instead opting to open a bottle of whiskey and take a long drink. She grimaced and held out the bottle to him. He took it after a moment and took a small drink.

"We are so not even leaving this room today!" She declared, reclaiming the whiskey. "We are celebrating our new pants!"

Charon just stared at her as she swallowed down the whiskey. No good ever came of a woman drinking that much, that fast.

"Sit with me Charon!" She giggled. He obliged, sitting a respectful distance away. She tilted her head to the side. "Do I smell bad? Bet I do. M'sorry." She said after a moment.

"You do not smell bad." He answered, nonplussed.

"Why the hell you over deer, ahem, there for?" She squeaked out.

"I am respecting your personal space." He answered simply.

"Oh. That's nice of you. Thank you." She said, pulling herself together a bit. She crawled over to Charon and flopped down, her head on his lap. Enormous brown eyes, slightly glazed over, looked up at him. "I'm not so good at personal space. I get melony. Melocolony. FuckIT. I get lonely. I like havin you here." She babbled.

"I am pleased that my company pleases you." He said. Charon was amused with how quickly she had fallen under the whiskeys spell. Less than an hour and the girl was sloshed.

A knock at the door surprised her. "Ooo company!" She squealed. She pressed a second bottle of whiskey that he hadn't even seen her open into his hand. She rolled and hit the floor with a thump. She hopped up immediately and threw herself at the door. She flung it open with a wide smile.

"Greta! You gorgeous woman, how'd you know I wanted a romp?" Evelyn giggled lewdly.

Greta laughed. "Smoothskin, you couldn't handle me."

Evelyn pouted, then glanced at Charon. "'S okay, I've got all I need in my bed." She said slyly.

Charon would never get used to blushing. He was a grow man after all! He took a drink. Evelyn paid Greta for their meal. Some sort of meat on a skewer that smelled amazing. Evelyn took two skewers, passing Charon the remaining four. They ate in a comfortable silence, Evelyn leaning up against him.

It took about an hour for the whiskey to take its toll. Evelyn started getting sleepy. She fought it, but in the end dozed off. She was still leaning against him. Very gently he moved her up the bed and rolled her onto her side. Just in case.

She slept for three hours. In that time he cleaned all of her weapons and looked through the things she had gotten him. All expensive, all in great shape. He pulled on the new boots, excited at the prospect of having no holes in his sole.

Evelyn awoke with a groan. She stretched and sat up. He looked at her passively from his place on the floor. She peered down at him with a grin.

"Been busy?" She asked.

"The weapons are clean and I am wearing my new boots. Thank you for everything." He answered with a small smile.

"How are you feeling?" She asked.

"I feel fine, why?" He answered.

"I'm feeling lazy. Come lay with me?" She requested. "We can sleep until dinner."

Charon rose, carefully removing his new boots. "If that is what you wish for me to do."

"Ya know? I do. Lay with me and sing me a lullaby." She grinned.

"I do not know any lullabies." He answered dryly.

"Well that's a shame. Guess you'll just have to lay here and talk to me." She mused.

"What should I say?" He asked as he slipped into the bed next to her.

"Tell me about before the war." She said.

Charon told her about everything he could remember. From ants that were only an inch long, to giant green fields full of apple trees, Charon kept talking until he was sure she was asleep. He wouldn't admit it, but he was very pleased when she moved over to snuggle into him. She surprised him.

"Bet you had a beautiful wife." She mumbled.

"No. I have never been married." He replied.

"I can't believe no one snatched you up. Even without skin, you're beautiful." She said.

Charon remained silent. He felt oddly proud. He reached up to brush his thumb across her cheek.

"Thank you." He whispered softly.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Charon let out a low sigh as soft lips kissed and nuzzled his neck. When teeth grazed his shoulder, he groaned and reached for any limb he could find. His eyes flew open when small smooth fingers intertwined with his own.

He expected her to be a dream. He expected to see the young woman passed out, the only evidence of his dream an uncomfortable tightness in his pants. Instead, he saw large brown eyes, staring at him. Evelyn was smiling up at him, looking slightly sheepish.

"Don't be mad." She whispered.

He just stared at her in silence. Mad? For what? He was silent.

She looked hurt for a brief moment, before her face settled into an indifferent, far away look. She pulled away from him, sliding off the bed.

"Wait." He commanded. She froze but didn't turn around. "I do not understand."

She whipped around and placed her hand on her hip. "Oh please. You're like a hundred years old."

"I am over two hundred and thirty." He replied.

Evelyn rolled her eyes. "Whatever. You're old enough to understand why a woman kisses you." She retorted with a disdainful snort.

He stared at her. She was beautiful. Tall and willowy. Her insanely long hair had come loose from the braid and she was pleasantly disheveled. She looked insulted and angry.

"You are beautiful." He mused.

"What?" She snapped.

"You are a beautiful woman. Does it not please you for me to say this?" He asked, mild and relaxed.

"You're not making any sense. You reject me, then tell me I'm pretty? Has the radiation fried your brain or are you just senile?" She said irritably.

"The radiation has done significant damage, but I am in full command of my mental faculties. I did not reject you. It is not my place to do so." He answered.

"I'm not your fucking owner. I'm not going to treat you like some toy. I will never make this mistake again." She snarled.

"Evelyn, I do not intend to anger you." Charon said.

She sighed. "I'm not angry at you. My pride is just hurt. That's not your fault."

"I do not understand." Charon repeated.

"I don't make it a habit of throwing myself at men. Like, ever actually. I wasn't expecting to be shot down." She said looking embarrassed.

"I did not 'shoot you down'. I did not take any liberties because it is not my place." Charon said flatly.

She eyed him carefully. "Did you want to?" She asked hesitantly.

"I do. Though I think you should eat first. You have consumed a substantial amount of alcohol and I do think your judgement could be impaired." He answered honestly. "You are a beautiful woman and I do not wish to dishonor your integrity."

"So, you don't think I'm disgusting?" She said.

Charon raised an eyebrow. "No. You are far from disgusting."

She stumbled forward, catching herself immediately, before brushing it off. "So when I'm sober, you'll kiss me?" She whispered loudly.

"If that is what you wish." He replied.

"Awesome. God let's eat. I'm starved. Where do you wanna go? We can go to the bar or we can ask Greta." Evelyn asked, beaming at him.

"It would be safer for you if we stayed here, I could protect you much better. Greta will make her rounds shortly, though I could fetch her for you." He answered her mechanically.

"I can wait. I don't want you slipping off for a secret fling with Tulip." Evelyn said with a grin.

"I would not." Charon protested.

"Relax I'm only joking. I think Tulip is pretty." She mused. He stared at her blankly. "Do you think Tulip is pretty?" She prodded.

"I find Tulip very attractive." Charon answered honestly.

Evelyn frowned. "Prettier than me?"

Charon shook his head once. "No."

She grinned, then frowned. "It's the skin huh?"

"Skin is attractive but that is not your only superior quality." Charon said. "You are tall, with feminine curves, your breasts are bigger, as are your hips. You have very long legs, and you have a very graceful walk. Tulip is short and very thin. She plods along in a most obnoxious manner."

She looked at him with her eyebrows raised. "Be still my beating heart." She quipped.

Charon was saved from coming up with a reply by a knock on the door. He answered it, knowing it was Greta.

"Hey Ugly. Got some Brahmin steaks for the smoothskin." The short woman grinned up at him, holding two large plates. She let out a raspy laugh after taking in his appearance. "Nice pants."

He went to reply when he felt long thin arms slide around his waist. Evelyn leaned out from behind him and grinned. "I think they're sexy." She said slyly.

"You're a crazy smoothskin, ya know that kid? Hope you like the steaks." Greta answered with a laugh after a long pause. Evelyn reluctantly released Charon to hand Greta some caps. She smiled sweetly as the woman left, but turned to Charon with a frown. He said nothing, instead placing the food on the bed carefully.

"Why did you let her call you ugly?" She asked finally.

"I am a ghoul. I am ugly." He replied.

"That's a matter of opinion. And she was being rude. Didn't it bother you?" Evelyn said unhappily.

"Manners are not common in the wasteland. Someone commenting upon my physical form does not affect me. I think I am much too old for that." He said flatly, but with a small smile.

"Well it bothers me." Evelyn pouted.

"Why?" Charon questioned, guiding the ungainly woman to her seat on the bed.

"Because you aren't ugly." She said, distracted by the food in front of her. "Oh yummmm. Sit and eat with me please." She requested with a flutter of eyelashes.

He could have laughed out loud when she ignored the silverware Greta had provided and picked up the steak with both hands and started gnawing on it. He followed suit.

She paused after a few minutes. "Wow this is not attractive at all is it?"

"I do not find it unattractive. You are hungry." He answered after a moment. She hesitated before resuming her meal.

"You don't have to be nice." Evelyn said after she had finished her meal. "What negative thoughts have you had about me?"

"Why do you think I have had negative thoughts? Have I been disrespectful?" Charon replied.

"Not at all. But you must have an opinion. I want to hear all the negative opinions. Now." She commanded.

He was not sure if she was aware that she had given him an order. But he obliged. "You are not cautious enough. These pants and yours are very ugly, despite being comfortable. You cannot handle the effects of alcohol very well and you are fairly lewd." He listed coldly. She had asked. He awaited her anger.

Instead she blinked up at him. "So you think I'm a pretty slut, who gets trashed and is careless. Oh. In ugly pants." She said slowly. Then she giggled. The giggle turned into a hysterical laugh.

She wiped away tears as she gasped for breath. "Thank you for your honesty Charon." She said at last.

He stared at her a long moment. "I also think you are very smart, and that you are overly kind. You are the first human woman who didn't not scream when she saw me." He told her softly.

She set her now empty plate aside and scooted closer to him. "You looked like you hated where you were. That piece of shit made my skin crawl. I had heard about you from Tulip. She said nobody owned slaves in Underworld except for Azrukhal. See, I'm pretty against slavery. I liberated Paradise Falls. I helped The Temple of the Union. I cannot stand slavers. So most of the time, I just buy and free any slaves I encounter. Sometimes you have to put down the slavers though." She rambled.

"You are an incredible woman." Charon said. He reached out his hand to touch her face but hesitated. She drew closer and nuzzled into his hand.

"No one has the right to own another person Charon." Evelyn whispered. "I'm sorry nobody helped you before. I'm sorry I didn't come through before."

Charon took a deep breath. "Evelyn it is meaningful to me that you care but my enslavement is unique. You do not owe me anything. You have done enough already."

"I want to see you free." She said.

"I do not think that is possible." He told her gently.

"Can I at least try to make you happy and healthy?" Evelyn asked.

"It is not my place to tell you what you can or cannot do." He reminded her.

"Charon you kill a moment faster than a mole eat stinks up a place." She grumbled.

"My apologies." He stated.

He placed the plates on the floor and stiffened when he felt small soft hands slide under his shirt, across his back. He straightened up slowly, but the hands didn't stop their exploration of his skin.

"Gob never lets me touch him." She mused.

"Gob?" He asked.

"Oh he's another ghoul. He doesn't like to be touched." She said as she explored his shoulders. "Could you take your shirt off?"

"I did not know you were involved with another man." Charon said stiffly.

Her fingers froze. With amazing dexterity for a slightly drunk person, she swung her legs around him and sat in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck.

"I am not 'involved' with Gob. He's just a friend. You can't blame me for being interested in your physiology. My father was a doctor, and I was supposed to be too. 'Course I never finished my training. You have to admit, you're fascinating." She purred.

Charon snorted. "Fascinating like a circus freak."

"What's a circus?" She asked brightly.

"A show with elephants and lions and a trained bear. A woman who is very fat. That sort of thing." He explained, distracted as her fingers resumed their exploration.

"What's a bear?" She asked, rubbing her thumb across his defined arm.

"Bears are still around. Yao guai used to have more fat on them, covered in long hair. They weren't pack animals like they are nnnnook-now." He choked out as she nipped his neck. She slowly kissed his neck and his jawline. He shuddered.

"Can I kiss you?" She murmured against his cheek.

"You are kissing me." Charon replied.

She didn't even pause. "You know what I mean smartass."

"Are you sober?" He asked.

"Sober enough." She said.

"I cannot tell you no." He said.

"Charonnnnnn." Evelyn groaned. "Cut the shit."

"There are stigmas associated with... being with a ghoul. I do not wish for your own kind to turn on you. You are young. I do not wish for you to make decisions you will regret later. There will be many people who accuse you of taking advantage of me. There will be even more accusing me of taking advantage of you. I do not wish that for you." Charon replied after a moment. "If you seek a sexual partner with no emotional ties I can and will offer that to you, if that is what you wish."

Evelyn pulled back slightly. "I don't just want you for sex Charon." She said firmly. "I mean, I do. Right now. Because I don't know you. But would it be so bad to try?" She blurted out. "God this sounds so stupid when I say it out loud. I guess I just... I'm attracted to you."

"Perhaps we should spend more time together before we have sex?" Charon supplied.

"Do we have to?" She whined. "Can't we just fuck then ask each other questions?"

He kissed her cheek. "I would advise against it."

"I do like you Charon." Evelyn said softly, pressing her forehead to his.

"Evelyn you astound me. I like you very much." He replied.

"Can I just fucking kiss you?" Evelyn sighed.

Charon pulled back. He placed his hand under her chin, tilting her head up. He gently but firmly pressed his lips to hers, unable to stifle the happy sigh that escaped him.

"So Evelyn, what is your favorite color?" He asked with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

**_"Are you fuckin kidding me Stonewall?! We've got a god damn contract! Get moving!"_**

**_"I didn't sign up for this shit! Those are women! Fuckin kids!"_**

**_"They're just some dirty commie fucks. They aren't like us!"_**

**_"Fuckin Christ Montgomery! They're people!"_**

Charon gasped and sat up. He looked around, feeling the fear leave his body. His features softened as his eyes settled on the woman laying next to him.

She was asleep. Her beautiful bare legs were barely visible in the dim light. Her hair was fanned out across her pillow, hiding her face. She was laying on her stomach, so he reached out a trembling hand to stroke her back. She shuddered at the contact, letting out a soft moan.

"Are you okay?" Evelyn asked.

He jumped at the sound of her voice. "I did not intend to wake you." He said softly.

"You threw me off of you a few minutes ago. I promise I'm not a commie." She said with a soft laugh.

"Did I hurt you Evelyn?" Charon asked, alarmed.

"I'll be fine." She said dismissively.

"Evelyn." Charon growled, switching on the lamp. "You are not as deceptive as you would like to think.

She sat up. "I wasn't being deceptive. I'll be fine." She huffed.

"I have hurt you. I am ashamed." Charon said, rising from the bed.

"You did not! Now sit the fuck down!" She demanded. He had to oblige. He hung his head, avoiding her eyes. "Look at me." Her tone left no room for argument.

Evelyn frowned at the look of shame on his face. She pulled back her hair into a loose braid and his eyes widened and he looked repulsed. She hastily unbraided her hair but the damage was done.

"You were having a bad dream." She said, reaching for his hand. He jerked away. "I am fine. For fucks sake Charon! I've been shot before!"

"Have you seen what I did to you? The marks I have left on you?" He asked harshly, shame evident in his voice. "I could have killed you. I am a danger to you. You must sell my contract." He looked down.

Evelyn was silent. She said nothing. She didn't move, Charon could barely hear her breathing. He look back up, glancing at her face. He saw her battling frustration.

"Were you a soldier?" She asked.

"I am not sure. A lot of my memories are fuzzy." He answered her honestly. "I have extensive training, so I would assume that I was."

"Charon I will not sell your contract." She said flatly.

"As you wish." Charon answered.

"You didn't hurt me. Okay?" She insisted.

"I have bruised your entire throat. My handprint is visible." He argued.

"Stop. We are not discussing this. Turn the fucking light off. It's like four in the morning. Get back in bed." She demanded.

"As you wish." He said dully. He settled himself down, resolving not to sleep.

"Charon!" She snapped.

"Yes?" He asked, already knowing what she would say. She surprised him.

Evelyn sighed. "Will you hold me?"

He pulled her to him gently. He stroked her bare arm. He took an unusual amount of comfort in the physical contact. He was stunned that she wanted to be around him at all. She wasn't afraid of him. He had marred her beautiful skin, yet she was concerned for HIM. As if he wasn't a monster that had just choked her. He pushed those thoughts from his mind, just running his hand along her perfect arm. It didn't take long for her to drift off.

"Charon?" She mumbled.

"Yes?" He whispered softly.

"I order you to sleep when you get tired."

He felt strange, a clenching in his chest.

"Yes Evelyn." He whispered. He had a hard time controlling the affection he felt for her. He placed gentle kisses on her neck, wishing he could kiss away the bruise.

"Charon!" She moaned.

"Evelyn?" He asked.

"That feels so fucking good." She groaned. She reached out and rubbed him through his thin pants.

"Evelyn!" He gasped at the sudden pleasure. "You should sleep."

"Mmmm buzzkill." She grumbled.

He laughed, a sound he hated, gravelly and raspy. He placed gentle kisses along her jaw and was surprised when she turned. Her lips found his and the world ceased to exist for a few moments.

"Evelyn I am falling asleep." He whispered.

She let out a giggle. "Am I that boring?"

He felt himself drifting off, unable to disobey her order. "No, I am tired." He muttered.

"Sweet dreams Charon. That's an order." She joked.

"I will dream of you, and be happy." He murmured, more asleep than awake. She followed him into a peaceful sleep, fingers intertwined with his, he gave them a gentle squeeze, reminding her that she was not alone.

**_"What is this place?! It's amazing!"_**

**_"This is the redwood forest. Those trees are over a thousand years old."_**

**_"Look at the grass! The trees! Can you smell the air? It smells clean! I can feel it between my toes!"_**

**_"It is clean. This is before the bombs dropped."_**

**_"Oh my god. Look at you!"_**

**_"Before the bombs dropped, I was not a ghoul."_**

**_"You're gorgeous."_**

**_"I was at one time, I suppose."_**

**_"You still are!"_**

Charon awoke with a start again. He took comfort in the smooth arm laying across his stomach. She had nestled into his warmth, resting her head on his chest. He relaxed and stroked her hair. Having her lay there next to him, was his undoing. He knew the exact moment he fell in love. He was terrified and elated.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

"Charon." Evelyn said softly in his ear. "It's time to get up gorgeous."

"Do you have plans for the day?" He asked, looking at her with one eye.

She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. He growled playfully, pulling her on top of him. He stared up at her with a smile. She was so beautiful.

"As a matter of fact, I do." She said, punctuating her statement with a sweet kiss to his cheek. "I'd love it if you'd join me."

"Where you go, I shall follow." He answered with a smirk.

She swatted his arm in mock annoyance. "Don't gimme that shit. You can stay here if you want." She said as she slid off of him. "Buuuut if you do come, you can protect my big butt from the radscorpions." She wiggled her posterior with an exaggerated sway of her hips.

Charon propped himself up on his elbow and smirked. "Giant arachnids are what scare you?" He teased, watching intently as she slid into skintight leather pants and a tank top.

"Stinging, pinching bugs the size of brahmin? Nahhh not me." She joked as she buckled her combat armor into place. She tucked her hair up into her helmet and wrapped a scarf around her face.

"Where are we going?" Charon asked, rising from the bed. He dressed swiftly, still embarrassed.

Evelyn was busy digging through her pack. He stared in amusement at the ungainly bag she carried. "Megaton. Ever been?" She asked, distracted.

"No I have not." Charon said. He slung his shotgun over his shoulder and was ready to go.

"It's a nice place for the most part. A few assholes and crazies. But the good news is the crazies will really REALLY like you!" She said brightly.

"I do not like people." Charon grumbled.

"Oh shush. Save your crankiness for Moriarty." Evelyn said, swinging the pack onto her back.

"Moriarty?" Charon asked. "Another man?"

They navigated The Mall swiftly, avoiding problem areas.

Evelyn glanced at him sideways. "Yes another man Charon. Funny thing really, about half the people I know are packin a dick in their pants." She snipped.

"And you have seen them personally?" Charon growled, unsure of why he was being so irritable.

"Yep, sure did. Sucked em all." She snapped back. "For fucks sake Charon what's with you?"

"I am out of line. It is not my place." He said.

"No, it's not. Who I fuck is my business." Evelyn said firmly.

He cringed inwardly. He felt oddly hurt when he realized that sobriety did away with the affection she had for him.

He followed her silently. The trip to Megaton wasn't terribly long, and she kept up a good pace. He wasn't terribly surprised to see radscorpions. He was surprised by the scene that unfolded before him.

Before he could put two shells into the albino radscorpion in front of them a yao guai lept at the giant bug, killing it after receiving a few nasty stings. He reached out to pull Evelyn down behind him while he took care of the beast but she was gone. He scanned for her frantically and watched in horror as she darted right for the beast.

"Evelyn!" He hissed out.

She ignored him. He couldn't believe his eyes when she reached out and patted the giant creature right on the head, feeding it something right from her hand. It was tame?!

"Relax!" She called back to him with a grin. "I just fed him some anti venom."

He approached cautiously, never taking his gun off of the Yao guai. "You have a pet bear?" He asked.

"Pet? No. He's wild. Who could train one of these?" She laughed.

"Why is it not trying to eat you?" He asked, amazed and uneasy.

"Just another perk of being me I guess." She shrugged and kept moving towards megaton. "A little girl gave me this necklace, ever since animals leave me alone."

"Evelyn I do not believe in magical necklaces." Charon said.

"Yeah? Me either. But it works. So I don't really ask questions." Evelyn dismissed. He just shook his head. Who was this woman?

He could see Megaton in the distance. Seeing it seemed to revitalize Evelyn as she took off at a quick jog. He kept up with her easily. She had long legs but his were longer. A devious thought slipped into his mind.

Catching up to her easily, he scooped her up off of her feet, laughing quietly at her shriek of surprise. He threw her over his shoulder and ran as quickly as he could, ignoring her small fists beating against his back.

"I am a beast that your necklace will not protect you from." He growled as he slowed down. He placed her down as the approached the city entrance.

She had the strangest look on her face as she stared up at him. He couldn't bring himself to feel guilty. His heart leapt into his throat when she grabbed him roughly, pulling his head down to kiss him fiercely. It was several long moments before she broke away, gasping for breath.

"Asshole." She grumbled, stalking away. He followed after her, a grin lighting up his face. She scowled at him.

She pushed open the metal doors and he took in the large town. Rusty metal walkways were perched everywhere. Helpful signs were posted everywhere, offering directions. She took a left, following a well worn path to a glorified shack.

"Home sweet home." She said happily, unlocking the metal door. They slipped into the house and Charon was surprised and a little uneasy at the interior. Everything was clean and reminded him of a prewar lab.

A robot floated over and greeted Evelyn happily. "Good evening madame! Welcome home! It is good to see you alive and well!" He cried out happily. "You are aware that a ghoul is following you? Or should I remove him from the premises?" Charon growled.

Evelyn giggled. "Hey Waddy. It's good to see you too. Don't remove Charon from the premises. He's my friend." She replied.

"Very well Madame. Is there anything I can do for you?" The robot said politely.

"No thank you Waddy. Go ahead and hop on the charger for the night. Unless you have plans with the Nuka Cola machine?" She teased.

"Madame, my sensors indicate that you are joking." The robot said.

"I am. Go ahead and charge for the evening." Evelyn agreed. She started unloading her pack into the storage lockers as Charon wandered around the house, checking for possible threats, and simply observing.

Evelyn kept her home clean, it appeared that she wasn't home very often. He walked up the stairs and found the room that he assumed was hers. A desk and a queen sized bed were squeezed into a very small space.

"it's not much but it's home." Evelyn said from behind him. He nearly jumped. She was quiet.

"You have a very nice home." Charon said politely.

"Thanks. Waddy keeps it up for me. I'm not here as often as I would like." She said. "First thing in the morning, I've got to go see Gob. But for now, I'm gonna lay down and relax."

Charons eyes narrowed. Gob again. He said nothing. He watched as she pulled off her boots, then her armor. He averted his eyes when she started to pull off her pants.

"Don't like what you see?" Her soft voice cut through the silence.

"I am trying to be respectful." He stated.

"Ah. Well, I'm gonna lay down. You plan on sleeping?" She asked as she crawled into the large bed.

"I will sleep by the door." He replied, unlacing his boots.

"Why would you sleep on the floor?" Evelyn asked incredulously. "Are you mad at me?"

"No." He said.

"Then what the fuck Charon?" She snapped.

"I know my place." He answered flatly.

She didn't reply. She just rolled over. He paused before laying down on the floor. He lay there miserably. He relaxed and that's when he heard it. The slight hitch in her breath. He rose immediately, switching the lamp back on.

"Evelyn?" He heard her inhale sharply. She cleared her throat.

"What?" She said with a barely perceptible sniff.

"Have I upset you?" He asked. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other.

"No Charon. I'm fine." She lied.

"Evelyn." He pleaded softly.

"I just don't get you!" She cried. "One minute you're smiling at me, the next you're just not. What am I doing wrong?"

His chest started to hurt. He wanted to reach out and touch her, but the way she was curled up gave him pause. "You have done nothing wrong." He answered truthfully.

"Oh really? Then why would you rather sleep on a floor than be near me?" She snapped, rolling over to look at him.

"No." He said. "I want nothing more than to be near you. I thought you wanted your space, I thought I had crossed a line. Angered you with my jealousy."

"Your jealousy was silly." She said gently. "There's no reason to be jealous. There are no men in my life. Never has been."

"You terrify me." Charon confessed. She just gave him a confused stare. "You are like a force of nature. You came in, bought me, then tried to free me. You TOUCHED me Evelyn. You did not fear me. You lay your hand on my arm like I am a person. I do not want to feel this way. Because once you tire of me, I will go back to being a slave. And I do not want to feel hope. I do not want to feel happiness. It will be taken from me."

"Holy fuck Charon. No. On so much of that shit. You ARE a person. You are NOT a slave. I lay my hand on you because I am a woman and you are the man I enjoy kissing." She said firmly, a small smile gracing her lips. "I will never grow tired of you. I'm sure you'll get tired of me long before I get sick of you."

"You are insane." He said, shaking his head. "Even if I were not a slave, I am a ghoul. And your kind does not like those like myself."

"Charon" she sighed. "Ever since I left that hole in the fucking ground I've been doing whatever the fuck I want. I do NOT give a flying fuck if some idiots don't like my boyfriend."

"I am over two hundred years old. I could very well be your great great grandfather." He said, fighting the wave of emotions he felt hearing her imply that he was her boyfriend.

"Are you my great great grandfather?" She asked, sarcasm lacing her tone.

"No." He admitted. "I have no children."

"Any other objections?" She challenged.

"I am an ugly brute?" He offered.

"Oh my god shut up. You are not ugly. Just a little rough around the edges." She snapped. "Now will you please get in bed?"

He slipped next to her, the bed groaning as he did so. He pulled her to him, clinging to her.

"I can feel your heart beating." She mused. "Are you okay?"

"I am nervous." Charon said.

"How come?" Evelyn countered.

"I want to ask you a question but I fear it will upset you." He said.

"I won't get upset. I promise. Is this about what I said about dicks? I haven't really sucked the dicks of all the men I know." She blurted out quickly.

"I did not think you had. It was obvious you were upset with me." He said, running his thumb across her forehead. "Did you call me your boyfriend earlier?" He asked quickly.

"Was that not okay? I probably should have asked first huh?" She said.

He didn't reply, instead kissing her. He covered her face in kisses and groaned when she started returning the favor. She let out a soft series of moans as he kissed and nipped at her earlobe.

His hand slid under her shirt to her breast and she gasped his name when he squeezed. Her cry broke his lust induced trance and he withdrew his hand. She whimpered her protest.

"We have plenty of time Evelyn." He said firmly.

She groaned in frustration. "I'm not waiting." She declared. He said nothing. She let out an agitated huff of breath, before grinning at him. "At least let me see you naked."

"As you wish." He said, standing up to undress. "But I warn you, I am rather gruesome."

"Shut up and get naked boyfriend." She commanded with a smile. He saw her kicking off her small shorts, and she whipped off her shirt.

He stood bare before her and she took in his whole body, ravaging him with her eyes. "God you're gorgeous. Look at those fucking muscles!" She crowed as he crawled into the bed with her. He pushed her down into the bed and explored every inch of her with his eyes.

"Evelyn?" He said uncertainly.

"Yeah?" She squirmed.

"You are hairless." He said.

She let out a loud giggle. "Yeah. Courtesy of good ol Vault 101. Most of the girls chose to get their body hair removed. Don't you like it?" She asked, suddenly anxious.

"You are beautiful." He assured her. He kissed along her hip, causing her to shudder. "Evelyn, it is getting late. You have to meet with Gob." He couldn't keep the jealousy from his voice.

If she noticed, she said nothing. She sighed deeply and snuggled up to him. She knew he was right. "Okay okay. I'll sleep. But only 'cause you got naked for me."

"Any time dear one." He laughed.

"Promises promises." She mumbled.

They drifted off into a peaceful sleep, Charon wondering just what "errand" she had to take care of.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

"Evelyn!" Charon gasped.

Evelyn was a lady, and a lady never talks with her mouth full.

Charon groaned as his hands gripped at the worn sheets beneath him. He clenched his jaw and his eyes shut. It had been so long. He couldn't even actually remember how long it had been. At least two hundred years. Evelyn hummed and his mind went blank. He was in a euphoric state. When had he started chanting her name?

His eyes flew open. "Evelyn!" He choked out. "Evelyn stop! I am going to... I cannot..." She didn't stop. She didn't even pause. He was soon spent. A lady always finishes what she started.

Evelyn crawled out from under the sheet with a smile on her face. She licked her lips slowly and blew him a kiss. "Good morning." She said with a sly grin.

"It is." He agreed. He took large, steady breaths. "Thank you." He said.

"It was my pleasure." She told him as she rose from the bed to dress.

"I must disagree." He joked. He followed her lead and started putting on his clothing. She slipped into a pink dress, obviously pre war. His mouth went dry. He had never seen anything more beautiful than the woman in front of him. He watched in awe as she pulled her hair back into a sleek bun.

"You uh, gonna go like that?" She asked with a laugh. He looked down at himself. He wore nothing but boxers and a thin short sleeved shirt.

"Does it not suit you? I was feeling casual." He teased her.

"Oh it suits me just fine darlin." She purred, pressing herself against his chest. "But I'm not sure if Megaton is ready for all of this." She indicated his lower half.

"Pants then." Charon laughed, pulling on a denim pair.

"Let me grab my bag and you can escort me to the saloon." Evelyn said as she wandered down the stairs. He pulled on his boots, smiling to himself. He stiffened when he heard a knock on the door.

"Just a minute!" Evelyn called from somewhere within the small home. Charon made his way down the stairs quickly, making it to the door before Evelyn. He opened it decisively.

Outside stood a grimy looking man with an eye patch, who, upon seeing Charon, looked very surprised. "Is uh, is Evie here?" He asked after a moment.

Evie? "Who are you?" Charon growled.

"Billy!" Evelyn called out, shoving Charon to the side to hug the man in front of him. "Hey! How did you know I was home?"

The man laughed, holding the embrace far too long for Charons liking. He held Evelyn at arms length, scrutinizing her. "Girl, ol Billy knows everything about this town. You know that. It's always news when the prettiest girl in the wasteland comes home."

Evelyn giggled. "You're too sweet." She turned to Charon. "Charon this is Billy. Billy this is Charon."

"Nice to meet ya Charon." Billy said with a smile. Charon was silent.

Billy's smile faltered and he sent Evelyn a questioning look. She scowled at Charon. "Charon is rude." She said with a hint of amusement in her voice. Billy laughed. Charon just scowled. His expression softened when Evelyn took his hand. "My boyfriend thinks everyone is out to kill me." She whispered to Billy conspiratorially.

"He's a smart man not to trust people. You've always been too nice." Billy said without missing a beat. "You an' Maggie are cut from the same cloth."

"How is Maggie?" Evelyn asked.

"Oh she's doin good, raisin hell with that Simms boy. I'd say I'm the one keepin him in line but Maggie does just fine on her own." Billy laughed.

"Oh have they made it official then?" Evelyn asked with a bright smile.

"Oh yeah, last week he came to me and asked if he could marry her. She swatted him upside the head and said she wasn't getting married at sixteen." Billy said. "But she's happy. An' that's all that matters to me."

"How sweet. Gotta love young love." Evelyn said with a soft smile. "Billy I would love to stay and chat but I've got to go up and visit Gob."

The smile faded from Billys face. "That'll probably make his month."

"Why? What happened?" She asked, her smile gone. Charon placed a comforting hand on the small of her back.

Billy shook his head. "Stranger passed through last night, got real rough with Nova. Gob tried to help her but wound up with a screw driver in the arm and a sound beating from Colin for his trouble. Nova was hurting pretty bad but I think Colin busted Gobs ribs." He said sadly.

"That fucking bastard!" Evelyn snarled, brushing past Billy, moving quickly towards the saloon. Charon and Billy trailed after her, sharing a solemn look.

Evelyn slammed the door of the saloon open and screeched "MORIARTY!"

The saloon owner made his way out of his office with an annoyed look on his face. Once he spotted Evelyn, a cold grin settled on his face. "Well if it isn't Little Miss Vault 101 herself?" He drawled.

"What did I tell you?" She hissed, crossing the bar to stand toe to toe with the sneaky Irishman.

His eyes moved to Charon and he grinned again. "Can't say I remember lass, you're often runnin your mouth about things that ain't quite your business aren't ya?"

Charon growled and stepped towards the little man threateningly. Moriarty didn't back down.

"I warned you Colin. If you laid your hands on him again I would fuck your world up." Evelyn spat.

"I'm sorry dearie, as I see it, until you cough up eighty thousand caps, that zombie is my property." Colin leered at her.

"Funny you should say that Colin." Evelyn said. "Got your fucking caps right here."

"Oh no no my dear, the price has gone up." Moriarty said with a sadistic grin. I can't possibly part with my shuffler here for less than ninety thousand caps. He's practically family after all."

"You piece of shit." Evelyn gasped.

"I've been called worse lass." He said.

"I'll fucking kill you." She snarled.

Faster than Charon could track the movement, Moriarty pulled out a knife and placed it to Evelyn's neck. "Lass I get quite tired of your threats." He hissed.

Charon moved forward but before he could even reach her, Evelyn twisted and drove a combat knife through Moriarty's neck. The foul man fell to the floor and Evelyn spit on him. He gurgled and gasped for breath. Evelyn reached down and wrenched her knife from his neck. Moriarty's blood sprayed her face but she didn't flinch. "Fuck you." She said flatly, kicking him in the head.

Evelyn smoothed her now blood covered dress and used the back of her hand to try to wipe the blood from her face. She only succeeded in smearing it. She turned to the silent saloon patrons with a forced smile. "I hope everyone will let the sheriff know that Moriarty started this fight." She said loudly. Lucy West whooped, and the other patrons followed her lead, clapping and whistling. Charon could barely suppress a grin.

"Where is Gob?" Evelyn asked a man at the bar.

"upstairs, he was beat up pretty bad so Moriarty and Nova have been running the bar." The man said.

Evelyn headed up the stairs, straight for Gobs room. She opened the door, gasped, and shut the door immediately.

"Evelyn?" Charon asked. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah. It's just... Nova is... Well. What I did this morning to you, she's doing to Gob." Evelyn stuttered, looking pale.

Charon bit back a laugh. "Then today is a very good day for Gob."

"Apparently." Evelyn said. She rapped on the door. After some loud rustling and a female laugh, Gob opened his door looking sheepish.

"Smoothskin!" He squeaked. "Hi! You uh, you okay?"

Evelyn grinned and threw her arms around the startled ghoul. "I'm more than okay Gob! I'm great!" She cried out excitedly.

"That's... Good. I'm glad." Gob said uncertainly. Evelyn just beamed as she embraced the uneasy man.

"Evelyn." Charon growled. He bristled as she clung to the other ghoul.

"Oh right." Evelyn said quickly. "Gob you're free." She released Gob. Nova stepped out from behind the doorway.

"What do ya mean, free?" Nova asked.

"Colin is dead." Evelyn said with a cold look on her face, absent mindedly fidgeting with her dress. Charon wanted to hold her, he didn't like the look on her face.

"Dead?" Nova gasped. "You killed him?"

"Yes." Evelyn replied.

Nova squealed and threw her arms around a bewildered Gob. She covered his face in kisses as tears slipped down her face. "You hear that baby?" She whispered.

Gob wrapped his arms around her, rocking her as he crushed the redhead to his chest. He looked at Evelyn. "Free?"

Evelyn nodded. "Free."

Evelyn looked at Charon with tears swimming in her large brown eyes. He froze, unsure how to react. He hesitated a moment before pulling her to him and kissing the top of her head.

"Are you gonna leave Gobby?" Nova asked with sad eyes. Charon watched as Evelyn's jaw twitched.

"Not without you." Gob replied firmly. Twitch.

"Oh Gob, I'm just a whore. You don't need me." Nova sniffled.

"You aren't a whore Nova." Gob protested. "Besides, you don't have to... Work anymore." Gob gulped. "I mean, if you don't want to."

"Oh Gobby." Nova dissolved into tears. Watching the other woman fall apart seemed to set off Evelyn. Each woman sobbed into the chest of the slightly bewildered man next to them.

"Evelyn." Charon murmured. "Perhaps you should go home and relax? You seem... Tired."

"You mean I'm bein a giant baby and I'm freaking you out?" She laughed through her tears.

"To an extent." Charon admitted.

"I'm okay. Just... Gob, he's a good man and he deserves so much better than all of this shit." Evelyn sobbed as Charon led her to a chair to sit down.

"I am sure you are correct though I do not understand why you are crying now. Is this not the desired outcome?" Charon asked, smoothing her hair.

"Yeah. It's just happy tears. Sad tears that nobody helped before. Just messy shit." She said, rubbing her tear streaked face.

Charon had nothing to say to that. He didn't quite understand this woman. She was high strung and genuinely kind. He didn't know how the wasteland hadn't chewed her up and spit her out. People didn't just run around spending their hard earned caps on freeing slaves.

"Gob?" Evelyn said, standing up.

"Uh yeah?" Gob said, refusing to let go of Nova.

"In a few weeks, I'm leaving. After I go, I want you to have my house. I'm not sure when I'll be back, if I will at all." She said. Nova gasped.

"Leaving? Where to?" Nova asked. "Gobby you've got your own HOUSE!"

"WE have a house." Gob corrected gently. Twitch, twitch. She was exhibiting signs if agitation.

"Well in two weeks you will. Don't throw me to the curb yet. Charon and I are going to head west, to New Vegas."

Charon narrowed his eyes. She hadn't said where they were going yet. He was surprised to hear Vegas was still around.

"You take care of yourself out there smoothskin." Gob said.

"I will Gob. I've got Charon. He will keep me safe." Evelyn replied, shooting Charon a bright smile that made his chest ache.

"Thank you. I can't even... I can't even begin to thank you." Gob said warmly.

"Oh Gob." Evelyn whispered. "You were the first person I ever met that wasn't free. I wish I coulda helped you first. This took so damn long."

"No Smoothskin, don't be sad. The fact that you even cared to help makes you a saint in this shithole." Gob comforted her.

"Evelyn I believe it is in your best interests to go home and rest." Charon reminded her gently, as he watched a strange expression cross her face.

"Yeah." She said weakly, allowing Charon to guide her down the stairs. "I'll talk to you guys later." She called to Nova and Gob.

He steered her past Moriarty's body, making a beeline for the door. The sheriff was already there, asking questions of the bar patrons. He made no move to stop them.

Once inside the home Charon picked her up and carried her up the stairs, bridal style. He gently placed her on the bed. She curled up into a ball.

"Evelyn?" He asked.

"I loved him." She whispered hoarsely.

"Gob?" Charon asked, stiffening.

"Yeah. We spent hours talking every freaking day. Colin knew. He made Gobs life hell because of it. I SWORE I would go out and earn eighty thousand caps to free him. Took almost six fucking years Charon." She whimpered, covering her face with her arm.

Charon was silent. He couldn't fathom having the love of Evelyn and allowing some tavern whore to touch him. His chest hurt again. He was just another ghoul to fill in for the one she wanted. He cringed inwardly. He felt foolish for hoping.

"I must sweep the perimeter for threats." He informed her, stalking out of the room.

He heard her rise from the bed and walk down the stairs. She walked to the sink and washed some of the blood from her face. He watched as she rubbed water on her neck, clearing off dirt and blood.

"You were cut." He growled flatly.

"It's just a scratch." Evelyn argued.

"Do you require medical attention?" He a asked.

"No. I don't think so. Thanks though. I'm gonna go nap." She sighed. "Go ahead and do whatever you want I guess. I feel like all I do is sleep and cry anymore. I can't wait to get out of here."

He said nothing. He watched her climb the stairs, before he sat down at the table. He lay his head on his arm and sighed. This employer was unlike any other. The sadness he felt was akin to when he first started losing his skin. It was long gone now, he barely missed it anymore. Maybe in another two hundred years he wouldn't miss Evelyn anymore.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

"Charon are you okay?"

**_"These dead kids don't even fuckin bother you man! You're sick!"_**

**_"It's part of our contract! We had a job to do. I did it. These reds would do the same to us! It's just a contract! Man up!"_**

_**"I'm human! I don't blindly follow some fucking contract! I'm gonna puke man. I can't be here. I can't look at this! How old is that**__** kid? Jesus!"**_

_**"We have a contract!"**_

Charon gasped awake, blinking rapidly. He stared in horror at a terrified Evelyn. She stared up at him with enormous brown eyes, sitting on the floor a few feet away.

"Charon?" She whispered.

"Evelyn!" He said, stepping towards her to help her stand. He froze when she drew back.

"Are you awake?" She asked.

"Yes. I am awake. Have I hurt you?" Charon asked, dreading the answer.

"No. You didn't even touch me. You just scared the shit outta me. You looked right at me and said 'it was just part of the contract. They had to die', then you made this weird noise. Like Ooooorah." She said, reaching up for his hand. He pulled her to her feet quickly.

"I do not remember what I was dreaming about. I apologize for startling you." Charon said slowly.

Evelyn wrapped her arms around him and he stiffened. "It's okay Charon. We'll figure it out eventually. Just bad dreams." She said.

He nodded curtly and pulled away from her. She looked surprised. "I must go check the perimeter for threats." He said.

"Oh-kay?" She said. He ignored her obvious question. If he had looked behind him he would have seen the hurt on her face, but he didn't.

Charon spent thirty minutes examining the house. Evelyn sat in the dilapidated chair by her storage locker with her head in her hands. Neither spoke for hours.

Finally, Evelyn broke the silence. "This isn't about the dream is it?" She asked.

"No." Charon confirmed.

"It's about Gob isn't it?" She asked flatly.

"Yes." Charon growled.

"Because I was in love with him or because I hugged him?" She asked. She didn't give him a chance to reply. "Charon this jealousy is shit. You don't own me."

His eyes narrowed. "No _Mistress _you own me." He agreed.

**_SLAP_**

He barely flinched, even though it was clear she had put a lot of her strength into the blow to his cheek.

"Get out." She hissed. "I don't care where you go. Wander the wastes. Do whatever you want. Go back to Underworld. You can fucking rot there for all I care."

"As you wish." He turned on his heel and stalked out of the house.

She didn't cringe as the door slammed, even though she wanted to. She just sighed and brought her pip boy up to examine the vague maps the Brotherhood had been able to provide her of the Mojave. The vertibird would take her just outside of somewhere called Cottonwood Cove. It sounded pretty. The Brotherhood had lost contact with their brothers in that area a few years back, so she wasn't offered any back up but she wasn't concerned.

She frowned. She had thought that she would have Charon with her. But plans had changed. She was leaving in less than two weeks and Charon was god knows where. She regretted sending him off like that. Would he be okay without her? She wasn't sure how the contract worked. What would happen when she died? Would he know somehow? Would he seek out another employer?

Evelyn spent the rest of the evening cleaning and fixing everything she planned to sell. She had A LOT of caps already, but she almost obsessively hoarded everything she could scavenge. Having lots of caps provided her with a sense of security. Caps bought food, water, ammo and guns. Everything a girl needed to survive in the wasteland. But caps would never make her feel safe like a seven foot tall wall of muscle.

She hopped around her house in an agitated manner before groaning in frustration. Maybe she could still catch him. She threw open the door and ran out, only to trip and pitch forward into the darkness.

"Ooomphhh!" Escaped her lips before she landed flat on her face. "Son of a bitch!" She snarled, laying still, agitated and overwhelmed. She was shocked to feel herself break down. She hadn't lost it like this since her father died. Noisy sobs poured out of her as she pounded her fists against the metal walkway. She gasped outright when a large rough hand rested on her shoulder.

"Charon?" She gulped out.

"Sorry Smoothskin, wrong ghoul." A friendly voice rumbled.

"Gob. Oh God. I'm okay. I'm not going crazy." She sputtered, sitting up.

"Fighting with your man?" Gob asked conversationally, plopping down beside her.

"He's gone." Evelyn whined. "Because I'm stupid."

"You ain't stupid Smoothskin, you're stubborn as a mule but not stupid." Gob said with a comforting pat on the shoulder.

"What's a mule?" Evelyn asked with a sniff.

"An animal that's long gone." Gob laughed. "Why are you and Charon fighting?"

"Because I say stupid shit that makes him mad and he says even stupider shit that makes me REALLY mad." She said with her head in her hands. "I told him I loved you. And he got jealous."

"That was almost five years ago Smoothskin, why bring it up?" Gob asked.

"He wanted to know why I was so upset earlier. I told him because it was my fault Colin treated you like shit." She answered.

"First off, no that wasn't your fault. Second, oh geez smoothskin. You're so smart but sometimes you miss what's right in front of you." Gob sighed.

"Excuse me? I'm brilliant, thanks." Evelyn said, shoving Gob playfully. "It's not my fault he's jealous."

"He's a slave Evie." Gob reminded her softly. "As much as you want him to be free, you can't do it. I remember him from Underworld. For two hundred years, he hasn't been a man. Hasn't been anything but a tool."

"I don't treat him like a tool!" She cried out.

"No but that doesn't mean he feels human again. You're probably the first person in two centuries thats touched him with affection. He's only been a means to an end, ya know?Then you went and told him you were in love with another ghoul. Of course he's gonna think he's just a stand in." Gob lectured.

Evelyn stared at him with her mouth agape. "Fuck." She said at last.

"Evie I know it was just puppy love, but Charon doesn't understand love, he's used to being used, he expects it." Gob said gently.

"He's gone now Gob." She replied miserably. "I told him to go."

Gob chuckled nervously. "Yeah, about that. Uh, there's a pretty big guy getting real drunk up at the saloon, scaring the regulars. I was hoping you could help keep the peace?"

"He went to a bar?" She asked incredulously.

"He mentioned that you 'did not care where he went and he would rot here' to Nova. He's been up there for a while now. He's pretty damn drunk. And scary." Gob replied.

Evelyn rose from the ground, wincing at the new scrapes her knees now sported. She followed Gob to the saloon.

She opened the door and was amazed. She swallowed down her immediate jealousy and just stared as Lucy West sat in Charons lap. The petite blond was laughing loudly. Charon looked disinterested. He was drinking scotch right from the bottle and if the five empty bottles behind him were any indication, he wasn't going to stop any time soon.

Evelyn approached quickly, ignoring the surprised stares. Her face was burning when she realized she was only wearing her tank top and shorts. At the sight of her, Lucy slunk off.

"Charon." Evelyn stated firmly.

"You return. Am I to accompany you?" He asked slowly, taking care not to slur his words.

"Yes. It's time to go Charon." She answered smoothly.

He rose from his seat, looking less than composed. He recovered quickly, following after her compliantly. Once they reached the house, Charon blinked at her, swaying slightly as he awaited her orders.

"Charon I am so sorry." Evelyn said, crossing the room. She lay her hand on his cheek. "I'm an idiot. Please stay with me."

Charon snarled. "I would never leave. I will walk to Vegas to keep you safe."

He picked her up. He crushed her to him so roughly, her back cracked loudly. She threw her arms and legs around him eagerly.

"You're the only man for me." She said as she clung to him. "I don't want anyone else. Just you."

"Yeah?" He asked her with a grin. The alcohol warmed him in a way that she one day hoped to. His smile was so at ease. She had never seen him look so handsome.

"You are staring at me." He said with a smile.

"You're gorgeous Charon." She said honestly.

He shook his head. "You are insane Evelyn."

"I'm serious! Look at those cheekbones and auburn hair. Gorgeous." She protested. "Charon-"

"Liam." He interrupted.

"What?" She asked.

"My name before the war was Liam." He answered.

Evelyn stared with wide eyes. "You didn't tell me Charon wasn't your real name!"

He grinned. "I have been Charon for many years now. It is part of the Underworld exhibit. Charon was the ferryman of the dead in the Underworld." He answered calmly.

"You don't look like a Liam." Evelyn said thoughtfully.

Charon chuckled. "No? Then what do I look like?"

"You look like you belong here with me. For what is in a name?" She teased gently.

"They died in the end." Charon laughed.

"What?" She said in surprise.

"Romeo and Juliet committed suicide." He said slowly, as if explaining it to a small child.

"You're fucking amazing." Evelyn said, before covering his face in kisses.

"Perhaps. But you amaze me." Charon replied, nuzzling her neck.

"Don't ever leave again." Evelyn pleaded.

"Do not order me away. Until the day you tire of me, I will stay." Charon promised halfheartedly.

"I'm yours forever." Evelyn murmured into his shoulder.

"Mine?" He asked, dumbfounded. He blinked at her, as if he was struggling to process what she was saying. "You belong to me?"

"Mind, body and soul." She quipped. She yelped loudly as they suddenly fell backwards. She landed on Charons chest as he laughed.

"I am sorry. I have been drinking. Are you hurt?" He asked, fighting back a laugh.

"No I landed on a drunk ass ghoul." Evelyn said with a smirk.

"You are the one who loves me." He retorted, then froze. "I meant..."

Evelyn pressed a kiss to his lips. "No you're right." She said softly, as she shook her hair from the remnants of her bun. He inhaled deeply and ran his fingers through her long hair in wonder.

"I love you too Evelyn." Charon said.

"My name isn't really Evelyn." She said solemnly.

Charons surprise showed on his face. "Then what is it?"

"Fredrick. I'm a man." Evelyn said levely.

"That is not true." Charon said flatly. "I have seen you without clothing."

"Surgeries." Evelyn said seriously.

"Evelyn I am unsure if you are joking. But I do not care. I think I would love you if you were still a man." Charon said, drunk and clearly confused.

"Charon I'm kidding. I've never had a dick." Evelyn laughed.

"I think I am very drunk." Charon groaned.

Evelyn smiled. "Yeah, let's go sleep it off drunkie."

"Lead the way _Fred._"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Evelyn stretched languidly, letting out a breathy sigh. She opened her eyes, smiling softly. The smile turned to a frown as she examined the empty bed next to her.

"It would kill you to cuddle?" She grumbled aloud, rolling off the bed. But Charon wasn't in the house. Wadsworth floated over, as cheerful as ever.

"Good morning Madame! How may I serve you?" He exclaimed.

"Waddy I need something to drink, got any water for me?" She asked, stretching her arms.

"Certainly Madame! Here you are!" The robot replied, depositing a bottle of water into her hand.

"Thanks Waddy, you're a peach." She said as she walked away.

The storage lockers held many of her worldly possessions. She was meticulous in her organization. Organization of all her junk. She snorted derisively. Evelyn smiled fondly as she recalled her first few weeks out of the vault. She had gotten over any squeamish apprehension when she realized everything that wanted to kill her had something of value on it. Someone, somewhere, would buy anything she brought them. The look on Moira's face when she had plopped down a large bag dripping blood onto the counter of Crater Side Supply was priceless. Forty-seven mole rat fillets.

She rifled through the locker and pulled out the object of her search. An emerald green cotton sundress. It was the most beautiful thing she owned. She had never worn it before. The Capitol Wasteland wasn't exactly the place for a beautiful sundress. But she would wear it soon. She very carefully placed it in her pack, along with her ugly lounge pants, clean underwear and a few tank tops. Then she pulled on some denim pants and a loose brown shirt, followed by her combat armor and boots.

She pulled her long blond hair into two braids, then twisted them into a knot on the back of her head. She secured her hair with a few bobby pins and aimlessly smoothed any flyaways. She rummaged through her pack and frowned. She needed more microfusion cells for her Gauss rifle. She was pretty good with her Power Fist but nothing stopped a deathclaw in its tracks like the Gauss rifle.

She checked her ammo locker and grinned. A large ammo box full of at least three hundred microfusion cells. She would still check with Moira, and hopefully she would catch Lucky wandering through before she left. That man ALWAYS had at least two hundred just for her.

After emptying the ammo box into her pack she headed out the door, only to run into Ian West.

"Ian!" Evelyn exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around the young man. "When did you get here?"

"Hey Evie! Got in earlier this morning. Man was Lucy mad! But happy to see me I think." He laughed, returning her hug. "She also thinks you're mad at her. Something about making a pass at your man?"

Evelyn gave him a confused look before she remembered. "Oh! Right! No. Not at all. Just drunken foolishness." She assured him.

"Ah. Well I was surprised to hear you were, uh, with someone." He grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

Evelyn grinned. "Well I couldn't wait on you forever!" She teased.

Ian's ears turned red. "Actually. That's kind of why I came." He admitted. "You haven't been through Arefu in about a month and I was starting to miss you."

Evelyn stared at him with wide eyes. "Ian that's such a dangerous trip to make alone! You came just to see me?" She chided.

"Seems kinda dumb now. But I just wanted to see you. I was hoping-" Ian faltered. "I was hoping you would come back."

Evelyn tilted her head, confused. "Come back to Arefu? Well sure, eventually." She replied.

"No. I mean yeah, but with me." Ian said miserably, his face flushed.

"Ohhh! You want me to get you back home safely!" Evelyn exclaimed. "Of course I will! Silly, you're like the little brother I never had!"

"No!" Ian blurted. He groaned in frustration. "I want you to come back to Arefu with me, to stay there with me." He explained.

"Stay in Arefu?" She asked slowly. "With you." Suddenly realization washed over her features. "Oh Ian." She said softly, shaking her head.

"Don't!" Ian commanded, holding up his hand to cut off her words. "Don't give me the little brother shit. You have to give me a chance." And with that he leaned down and pressed his lips to Evelyns.

She didn't pull away, nor did she kiss him back. She just waited. He drew back and looked at her with sadness in his eyes. "Nothin huh?" He asked sadly.

"Ian I love you. I do." She began. He hung his head. "No, look at me. You're an amazing guy. And the girl who lands you will be the luckiest girl in the wasteland. But I'm leaving."

He looked up. "Leaving?" He asked.

"Headed towards New Vegas. It's a long long ways from here." She explained. Inspiration struck. "Ian have you ever been to Big Town?"

"Nah. It's not far from Arefu though." He answered, still looking miserable.

"I'm going to Big Town tomorrow. Would you come with me? They need some help and I think your skills with guns would help them a lot." She explained.

"I guess." Ian shrugged. "Got nothing better to do.

"It'll be fun." Evelyn assured him. He didn't reply, just stared at the ground. "Love you kid." She said, hugging him.

After a moment, he returned her embrace. "Love you too vaultie." He mumbled into her hair.

"I've gotta get moving, but you need to be ready nice and early tomorrow. Okay?" She said, pulling back and punching him in the arm playfully.

"You got it." He replied, nodding his head.

She watched him walk away with his head low. She sighed deeply. She turned and gasped as she stared at an amused Charon.

"That was almost painful to watch." Charon said, clearly amused.

"Jesus Charon, how long were you standing there?" Evelyn gasped.

"Long enough to know that you have broken that boys heart." Charon said mockingly.

She swatted him on the arm. "Shut up! Ian's a good kid." She smoothed her hair. "But that was kinda unexpected."

"I would advise that the next time another man kisses you, he should be warned that I have broken mens spines with one punch." Charon growled irritably.

Evelyn pressed herself to his chest. "Noted." She said, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Let's get moving. I've got to go see Moira. I need more ammo."

He watched as she sauntered away, swaying her hips purposefully. She turned her head briefly to wink at him. He couldn't stop the small smile from creeping onto his face as he followed her. She made her way up the metal walkways until they reached a shanty with the words Crater Side Supply written sloppily on the side. Evelyn pushed the metal door open and they stepped into the dim store.

A small plain woman greeted them immediately. "Hi there!" She chirped in an overly cheerful voice. "Evelyn! It's so good to see you! Oh my! You've brought a friend! A handsome friend!"

Charon wanted to recoil from the overly happy creature in front of him. Instead he gave her his best glare. She seemed unfazed as she continued to rattle off things about some book. Evelyn seemed to know what she was talking about.

"So we are definitely helping people!" The shopkeeper exclaimed. "Now how can I help you and Tall Dark and Handsome over there?"

Evelyn laughed. "His name is Charon, and paws off Moira, he's mine."

"Well dang. All the cute ones are taken or crazy." Moira said sadly. Charon snorted. Crazy indeed.

"I just got lucky I guess." Evelyn replied, smiling at Charon. "Do you have any microfusion cells Moira?"

"Do I ever!" Moira exclaimed, perky once again. "Had a cranky guy in here about a week ago, didn't even know what they were. He brought me over five hundred, but I sold two hundred. So I've got three hundred and ninteen of them for you. Between you and me, I hope he doesn't come back. I heard he got real mean with the whore at the saloon."

"Moira she has a name. Nova." Evelyn admonished.

"Oh I know. But who has time to remember names?" The ditzy woman exclaimed, not at all put off. She dug around under the counter. "Aha!" She crowed triumphantly. She pulled out a large ammo box.

Charon was having a glaring contest with the mercenary in the corner. He was impressed. Most hired muscle was intimidated by his sheer bulk. Charon gave him a nod and watched as Evelyn counted out caps.

"Moira I'm headed out to Big Town tomorrow. I'll swing by one last time before I go though." Evelyn said as she dumped the microfusion cells into her pack.

"Okie dokie!" Moira exclaimed. "Such a big adventure! Do you think you'll ever come back?"

"Probably not Moira." Evelyn said softly. "I think the Capital Wasteland will be okay without me."

"You've fixed just about everything haven't you? You're a nice girl." Moira said, already fiddling with a foul smelling experiment.

"Thanks Moira." Evelyn said solemnly. She and Charon left the store and walked down to the clinic. The doctor was on his way out of the door.

"Holy hell that's a big zombie." The startled doctor exclaimed.

Charon growled. Evelyn was quicker. "Say that again Church and I'll knock your fuckin teeth out."

The doctor didn't look concerned. "Calm yourself woman. No need to be so damn touchy." He drawled. "I assume you want to buy out all my stims?"

"Yup. And for your little crack there I want a discount." Evelyn snarled, drawing herself up, squaring her shoulders.

The doctor scowled at her for a long moment. "Fine." He snapped. "I've got twenty-five."

"Sold!" Evelyn declared smugly, handing the man a pitiful amount of caps.

"I'll be glad to see you go." Church grumbled sourly.

"Oh Doc, I'm wounded!" Evelyn called mockingly as she strolled away. Charon followed, frowning.

She caught his frown and sighed. "Let me guess? You feel emasculated."

Charon rolled his eyes. "It is unwise to ruin a good business relationship to spare my feelings. Doctors are few and far between." He scolded.

Evelyn scoffed. "Oh please. That hack isn't half as well trained as I am. Besides, I refuse to associate with bigots. It doesn't have anything to do with you. It's my own morals. I know what's right and wrong. Willow and I are exactly alike, except she doesn't have skin. It's bullshit that I have more rights. Human is human." She raged, her raised voice drawing the attention of the settlers.

"They aren't human." A voice rang out. Jenny Stahl stood tall with her mouth set in a grimace of disgust. "They're mutated animals, who knows how many Geiger ticks from going feral. You and Nova are disgusting. Of course Nova always was. But I thought you were better than some dirty ghoul fucker!" She screeched.

"Jenny!" Andy snapped, admonishing his sister with a humiliated look at Evelyn.

"No! That filthy whore and nasty vault bitch are ruining our town with their filth! This used to be a nice place. Now it's degenerates and ghoul fuckers. What's next? Fuckin cannibals?" Jenny snapped, her voice almost at full volume. Evelyn spared a glance towards Ian and Lucy. Lucy had her arm on Ian's and she was glaring with all her might at the only Stahl woman.

"Jealous Jenny?" A male voice called mockingly. "Can't even get a ghoul to fuck ya?" Billy stepped forward with a mean grin on his face.

"Fuck you!" Jenny screamed back. "I wouldn't degrade myself by letting one of those disgusting animals touch me!"

"THATS ENOUGH!" Andy bellowed. "Jenny get your ass inside or you won't have a fucking place to live. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Jenny gaped at her older brother in rage. Her face turned purple. She stomped inside, shooting Evelyn one last dirty glare.

"Evelyn I'm sorry for what my sister said. We weren't raised like that." Andy sighed.

"Don't apologize Andy. But I'm warning you, she needs to stay out of my way." Evelyn retorted.

"I understand." Andy agreed.

Evelyn stomped all the way back to her house, dimly aware of Charons quiet footsteps behind her. She stomped inside, then she stomped all the way upstairs, kicking off her boots and armor as she went. She flopped down onto the bed and kicked off her pants furiously, making soft, irritated noises as she did so. Charon stood in the doorway, silent. Evelyn stared at the ceiling.

"A dirty ghoul fucker." She spat. "I saved this fucking wasteland. I saved this TOWN from a megalomaniac with skyline issues. But I'm a dirty ghoul fucker, ruining THE FUCKING SANCTITY OF THIS FUCKING RUSTING TRASH HEAP!"

Charon remained silent. He had warned her that humans wouldn't approve of her fraternizing with him. But that did little to assuage his guilt. He had ruined her reputation. A reputation she had bled for, fought for, nearly died for. He had been selfish. He just stared at her sadly.

"I'm sorry if they hurt your feelings." She called to him softly.

"Their opinions are not of any importance to me." He said stiffly.

"Come lay with me." She pleaded suddenly.

He couldn't refuse her. Not with the sad look on her face. He sat down on the bed, slowly removing his boots and armor. Very carefully he lay down next to her. He had been careful to leave space between their bodies but she ignored that completely, curling into him. She nuzzled his shoulder and wrapped her and around him. He reached out and carefully removed the bobby pins holding her hair in place. She made no move to stop him, so he slowly unraveled her hair from the braids she had secured it in. He ran his fingers through her long hair, loving how soft it was.

"You like my hair huh?" She asked.

"I have never seen a woman with such long hair. Have you ever cut it at all?" He asked as a reply.

"It's been trimmed and I won't let it get much longer. It's not very practical. But I'm vain, and it makes me feel pretty." She admitted.

"You are beautiful." He stated.

"Thanks. So are you." She said. He rolled his eyes. They rested there quietly for a few minutes.

"I think you should give the West boy a chance." Charon told her reluctantly.

"Excuse me?" Evelyn said as she pulled back to stare at Charon with confusion and hurt.

"You could build a life with him. No one would call you names in the town square. You could grow old with him. Have children." Charon explained quickly.

"You think I care what some bitch calls me? I can grow old with YOU. And what? You and I couldn't have kids?" She dismissed fiercely.

"We could not. Ghouls cannot reproduce." He answered softly.

"We can adopt." She shot back.

Charon sighed. "I will outlive you."

Evelyn grinned. "Kinda cocky aren't you?" She teased. "Are you saying you won't find me sexy anymore when I'm old and wrinkly?"

"If I still had skin I imagine I would be wrinkled." He said. "I am already quite old."

"I done care. I want you." Evelyn said firmly. She crawled on top of him and gave him a hard stare. "And you want me. Why are we having this conversation? You do want me don't you?" She asked, suddenly looking unsure of herself. The fear in her features made his chest ache.

"Of course I do. I just want what is best for you." He replied, reaching up to cup her chin in his large hand.

"Loving you is the best thing that's happened to me in a long time." She whispered with a smile.

"Your love is the best thing that has ever happened to me." He admitted with a smile of his own.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

"**_You wanna be shot for war crimes or do you wanna report for mental reconditioning? Seems like a simple choice son. You know what ya did was fucked up. Your CO already faced the squad, Brass wanted you to have an option. So what'll it be?"_**

Evelyn watched Charon twitch uneasily in his sleep. She wrapped her arm and leg around him, pressing a kiss to his forehead. The stress left his features and he melted into her embrace, finding peace in her. She enjoyed his sleepy affection for a few minutes before whispering his name.

"I am awake." He replied, his eyes still closed.

"You don't look awake." She said against his cheek.

"I would be a poor employee if someone wrapping their entire body around me did not rouse me." He replied, she could feel the small smile stretching his mouth.

"We have to go get Ian." She said, though she made no move to break their embrace.

Charon did not reply verbally. He just untangled himself from her limbs and rose. She made a quiet groan of displeasure. She sighed and got out of bed. They moved about the house in an unusual harmony. She gathered supplies and he organized and maintained all the gear she picked out. She watched in admiration as he he cleaned and repaired all her weapons , then swiftly stitched and cleaned all her armor and clothing. It seemed second nature.

"I've never seen a man sew before. Besides a doctor sewing up a person." She commented.

"It is necessary to care for gear properly." He said gruffly. "I could also stitch you up if you needed it. I have basic medical knowledge. I prefer to keep myself in one piece."

"So you couldn't sew me a nice fancy ball gown?" She teased as she stuffed her pack with ammo.

"I am afraid that is beyond my abilities." He replied dryly. "Do you even know what a ball is Evelyn?"

She sent him a sly grin. "Of course I do. A big fancy dance where people wear big fancy dresses and suits. I was raised in a vault Charon. We had history classes." She giggled.

"I have attended balls. Long ago." Charon confessed.

Evelyn stared at him with wide eyes and a large grin. "That means you know how to dance!" She exclaimed.

"It means no such thing." He said firmly. "I hardly remember attending, let alone how to dance."

Evelyn pouted. "I think you're full of shit." She complained loudly.

Charon ignored her as he organized the supplies. He handed Evelyn her oversized pack and situated his shotgun on his shoulder. He bowed his head and gestured to the door with his arm. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Ian was already ready, sitting at the small table by Evelyn's door. He looked up at her with a lopsided grin. "Good morning." He grumbled.

"Morning kid! Ready to roll?" Evelyn replied cheerfully.

"Yep. Already said my goodbyes to Lucy. How long you think it'll take to get to Big Town?" Ian drawled as he followed Charon and Evelyn to the big gates of Megaton.

"We should get there by mid afternoon if we keep up a good pace. You're gonna love it there kid. Everybody is your age, it's not Arefu." Evelyn teased.

"Sounds perfect. Now tell me it's full of lonely girls desperate for my attention." He quipped.

"Well there is Bittercup. She's... Well you'll see." Evelyn laughed. Charon watched their exchange with something that bordered on jealousy. The West boy had a youthful charm. Charon had lost that before he lost his skin. Evelyn obviously had a great deal of affection for the boy and Charon wondered briefly how they had come to know each other and how that bond was formed. He dismissed the query almost immediately. It didn't matter.

All thoughts left his mind as a deathclaw stormed from behind a rusted out semi trailer. A loud whoop split the air and the West boy charged at the deathclaw, seemingly playing a game of chicken he had no chance in winning. Charon barely hesitated before he started pumping shells into the beast, hoping to drop it before it could kill the clearly insane boy.

"Ian! No!" Evelyn's scream startled him. Charon glanced at her before resuming his frantic shooting. She looked horrified. The boy didn't pause. He and the deathclaw quickly met and the deathclaw lunged at him, swiping with its vicious claws. Ian dodged to the side and jumped behind the beast with enviable speed. He didn't waste a moment before he lept onto the deathclaws back. Clearly not anticipating that, the deathclaw let out an outraged snarl and nearly lost its balance. Ian plunged his Bowie knife deep into the frenzied animal before drawing his sawed off shotgun and firing all the shells into the beasts temple- point blank. The deathclaw froze for a moment before crumpling to the ground, very dead.

Ian lay beside the corpse breathing heavily. Charon was the first to move, offering the boy his hand. Ian took it after a moment and pulled himself to his feet.

Evelyn was upon him almost as quickly as the deathclaw had been. She shoved the sheepish boy back, her screams causing Charon to cringe. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU?! Are you CRAZY?!"

Ian caught her arm as she swung to punch him in the jaw. He pulled her to him and locked her in a bear hug. She struggled against him briefly before hugging him back. "You crazy little bastard you gave me a heart attack! What would Lucy say?" She grumbled, smashed against his chest.

Ian drew back in alarm. "Don't tell Lucy! She'd have a Brahmin." He pleaded.

"Ian that thing could have killed you with one claw in two seconds. What were you thinking?" Evelyn scolded.

"I've killed five or six deathclaws that way. They get real confused." Ian confessed. Evelyn sucked in her lips and her eyes bugged out.

"You're killing me." She croaked out.

Ian just smiled as a reply. They kept walking towards Big Town and Charon had gained a new respect for the gangly boy they were escorting. Any man who wanted to wrestle a deathclaw had to be a tough son of a bitch. Evelyn still looked exasperated. She cheered up considerably when a pack of mole rat pups descended upon them, snuffling and squealing.

"Ohhhhlookit!" She cooed loudly, scooping one of the ugly creatures up. There were five in all, too many to have come from one litter. "Where's your mumma? Are you all alone?" Evelyn questioned the wiggling rodent.

"Put em outta their misery before something eats em." Ian suggested.

"Shut up Ian!" Evelyn snapped, cradling another pup to her. "They obviously grouped together for safety after they lost their parents."

Ian snorted. "Just makes for a bigger meal when the mirelurks come." He said flatly.

"Don't be such a pessimist Ian, for all you know they'll thrive as a pack." Evelyn scolded the young man. Ian was unimpressed.

"I see a settlement." Charon interrupted.

"Yeah that's Big Town." Evelyn said, carefully placing the pups on the ground before standing up. The small rodents shuffled off. "We got here quicker than expected. There's usually a lot more radscorpions."

"Maybe the mole rats ate them." Ian quipped.

"Oh fuck you Ian!" Evelyn groaned, kicking dust in his direction.

"That an invitation?" He leered backed comically, wagging his eyebrows at her.

"You couldn't handle me sweetheart!" Evelyn grinned back.

"Why don't we test out that hypothesis?" Ian shot back.

"No." Charon snapped. The smile fell from Evelyn and Ians faces.

"I was just joking man." Ian said after a long pause.

Charon just growled and continued walking to Big Town. After exchanging uneasy glances, Evelyn and Ian followed. They made the rest of the trip in silence.

They were met by a man wearing what appeared to be poorly cared for riot gear.

"Dusty!" Evelyn cried happily. "Don't shoot me!"

"101? You've got a guy and a big ass ghoul with ya?" Dusty questioned.

"Ian and Charon. They won't cause any trouble. Ian is here to help. I'm here to talk to Red." Evelyn assured the skeptical man.

Dusty lowered his gun and gave them a nervous wave. "After you cleared out Paradise Falls and the old police headquarters we don't get much trouble. A stray raider or two. Sticky is pretty successful when he goes out scavenging. But we can always use the extra help." He informed her.

Evelyn just nodded and made her way across the wooden bridge into Big Town. Charon and Ian followed. Teenagers made their way out of their homes to greet Evelyn, but stopped to stare at Charons hulking form.

"Hi Evelyn!" A young man called out, waving enthusiastically.

"Hi Flash!" Evelyn called back. "How have you been?"

"Oh pretty good. Killed me a raider the other day! Got a new gun!" Flash told her excitedly.

"That's great sweetheart! Remember everything I taught you?" Evelyn said with a kind smile.

"Yes ma'am!" Was the cheerful reply.

Ian leaned in towards Evelyn and whispered "He looks your age, why is he acting like a kid?"

Evelyn smiled. "Everyone in Big Town used to be a Little Lamplighter. There are no adults in Little Lamplight. They raise themselves and each other. Once they turn sixteen, they have to come here. It's not easy for them." Evelyn whispered back.

Ian frowned. "Why do they leave those kids to fend for themselves?" He asked.

Evelyn shook her head. "They do great in Little Lamplight. It's when they have to leave and come to Big Town, that's when they struggle. But I've been helping them over the years and they're doing better."

Ian's brow knitted as he processed the new information. Evelyn continued to greet each of the towns residents in turn. Finally she reached the young woman she sought.

"Hey Red!" Evelyn said happily.

"Hey Evie! What brings you to Big Town?" The bespectacled woman asked with a smile.

"I brought a friend for everyone to meet and I came to say goodbye." Evelyn answered.

"Goodbye?" Red asked.

"Charon and I are headed out west here soon. But I couldn't leave without saying goodbye to everyone." Evelyn said with a sad smile.

"It's a shame you won't be around anymore. I'll miss you." Red said softly, placing a hand on Evelyn's forearm. "Everyone will."

"I'll miss all of you. But it's time for me to wander on. So I'm taking my boyfriend and heading for the sunset." Evelyn said with a grin.

"Boyfriend huh?" Red said, giving Ian a once over.

"Nope not that one. This one." Evelyn said, pulling a started Charon towards her by the hand. He peered down at the young woman.

"Hooo weee! That's a lot of ghoul!" Red gulped.

"Ohhhhhh yeah." Evelyn leered. Charon felt heat in his cheeks. "And this guy is Ian. He's good with guns, has a solid hand to hand and a winning smile." She gestured to the young man.

"Nice to meet you Ian. And um. Boyfriend." Red said quickly.

"Charon." Evelyn supplied helpfully.

"Right. Nice to meet you Charon." Red amended. "You're just in time for the sock hop!"

"Sock hop?" Evelyn and Ian asked in unison.

"It is a dance." Charon said darkly.


End file.
